Difference Between Sex Offender and Predator

Sexual offenses constitute a big proportion of all offenses, but it confuses people when they hear terms like sexual predator and sexual offender. There is a clear distinction between these two categories of sexual criminals though there are different laws in different states of the country. The similarity between these categories lies in the fact that both are sexual in nature. However, there are differences including degree of offense that will be highlighted in this article, to enable readers to distinguish between these criminals easily and remain alert accordingly.

Sex Predator

Sex predator is a legal term and reflects the fact that a person has been so labeled by the ruling of a court. If there are sexual predators in your area, it is by law required by the authorities to notify the public about them. However, this notification cannot be made a basis to harass the individual. The term seems to have been inspired by the manner in which a predator hunts its prey.

Rapists and persons committing child sex are considered as sexual predators though an individual cannot be labeled as a sexual predator until he has been so declared by a court of law. Sexual predator, in general, is a person who is trying to have a sexual contact with another person. To be labeled a sexual predator, an individual needs to have been so designated by a court of law, have committed a serious sexual offense, or felony sex crimes a certain number of times in the last few years. The designation of sexual predator is in place in some states of the country to give harsher penalties for sexual offenses to such persons.

Sex Offender

Sex offender is an individual who has already committed an offense of a sexual nature. This is a broad category that can be considered as generic in nature as it contains all types of criminals having committed offenses of a sexual nature. Sex offender is an individual who is given a lenient sentence by a court of law, and he can ask for his name to be cut off from the list of sexual offenders if has got a pardon.

What is the difference between Sex Offender and Sex Predator?

• Sexual predator is an offender of a more serious nature than sex offender.

• A person is labeled a sexual predator when he is so referred by a court of law.

• An individual may be a sex offender but becomes a sex predator if he commits the same offence another time.

• Thus, a sex offender can be upgraded to be a sex predator.

• A sex predator is either a child molester or a rapist.

• Authorities are required to notify public about sex predators living in their midst.

• Sex predator is a term inspired by the manner in which an animal hunts its prey.